KCC FLOUTS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAWS

10.53.55am GMT Mon 13th Mar 2006

Trudy Dean, Leader KCC Lib Dem Group

KCC Cabinet papers are frequently unavailable despite the Access to Information Act requirement that no report shall be considered unless the report has been available 5 clear working days prior to the date of the meeting or is considered urgent.

In the period September 2005 - February 2006, for the 6 Cabinet meetings, papers were not available for 4 of the 6 meetings. The worst offender, the Cabinet papers for 23 January 2006, when all of the papers were 'to follow'.

Cabinet date Agenda Items 'to follow'

06.02.06. 1 of 6 Items (17%) : Item 2 - MTP, received dated Friday 03.02.06.

23.01.06. All Items (100%) : Item 1 Finance Health Economy, received dated Thursday 19.02.06. Item2 Medium Term Plan, Item3 Cabinet Scrutiny Policy & Overview.

24.10.05. 2 of 8 Items (25%) : Item 4 Cross-Channel Lorry Issues. Additional urgent under item 8 Turner Contemporary received papers dated 21.10.05.

19.09.05. 5 of 12 Items (42%) : Item 3 Autumn Budget Statement, received dated Friday 16.09.05. Item 5 Vision for Kent, received dated Wednesday 14.09.05. Item 7 Public Health, received dated Friday 16.09.05. Item 11 Restructuring Progress Update received dated Wednesday 14.09.05. Item 12 Cabinet Scrutiny Policy & Overview, received dated Wednesday 14.09.05.

Many of the reports have therefore been described as urgent because they missed the day the agenda was published and not because they are urgent by the exceptions permitted by law. The matter has become so serious Peter Gilroy, Chief Executive has had to act to formally remind Members and Senior Officers of their responsibility regarding timescales for publication.

Trudy Dean, Liberal Democrat Group Leader on KCC said: "The law requires these papers to be published in advance so that councillors and the public can be clear about what is being decided, and check the accuracy of papers. This continuous late presentation of papers reached its height when members of the Press were given details of the budget before Council Members!"